South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

north-east corner of the temple, from which we learn that Śîyamaṅgalam belonged to Tennârrûrnâḍu,^[1] a subdivision of Palagunra-kôṭṭam,^[2] a district of Jayaṅgoṇḍa-Chôḷa-maṇḍalam. The temple itself was then called Tirukkarraḷi, i.e. ‘ the sacred stone temple ’ (Nos. 60 and 69 of 1900), and Tûṇ-Âṇḍâr (Nos. 61, 62, 63 and 65 of 1900).

A.─Inscription of Lalitâṅkura.

This inscription (No. 67 of 1900) is engraved on the right pillar of the gate. It consists of a single Sanskṛit verse in the Âryâ metre and is written in the same archaic alphabet as the cave inscriptions at Trichinopoly^[3] and Mahêndravâḍi.^[4] It records that “ this (temple) named Avanibhâjana-Pallavêśvara ” was caused to be made by king Lalitâṅkura. From the cave inscription at Vallam^[5] we know that Lalitâṅkura was a surname of Mahêndrapôtarâja, who, according to Mr. Venkayya’s researches,^[6] is probably identical with the Pallava king Mahêndravarman I. Two other surnames of the same king were Śatrumalla and Guṇabhara, of which the first occurs at Trichinopoly and Vallam, and the second at Trichinopoly, Vallam and Mahêndravâḍi. Thus the Pallava king Mahêndravarman I., who reigned about the beginning of the seventh century of the Christian era, is now known to have excavated four rock-cut shrines, of which that at Mahêndravâḍi was dedicated to Vishṇu, and the three others to Śiva. The name of the Śîyamaṅgalam cave, Avanibhâjana-Pallavêśvara, means ‘ the Îśvara (i.e. Śiva temple) of the Pallava (king) Avanibhâjana.’ Hence Avanibhâjan,^[7] i.e. ‘ the possessor of the earth,’ must have been another surname of Mahêndravarman I.

TEXT.^[8]

1 Lalitâ[ṁ]kurêṇa râjñ=Âva-
2 nibhâja[na]-Pallavêśvaran=nâma [|*]
3 kâritam=êtat=svê[dh]â(chchhâ)-karaṇḍa-
4 m=iva puṇya-ratnânâm [||*]

TRANSLATION.

By king Lalitâṅkura was caused to be made this (temple) named Avanibhâjana-Pallavêśvara─ a casket, as it were, (worked at) his will (and enclosing) jewels, (viz.) good deeds.^[9]

B.─Inscription of Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman.

This inscription (No. 68 of 1900) is engraved on the left pillar of the gate. Its alphabet is Tamil, with the exception of the Grantha words svasti śrî at the beginning and śrî in line 10, and resembles that of the Tiruvallam rock inscription of Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman ; but the letter n has throughout its archaic form, while in the Tiruvallam inscription the modern form with fully developed central loop occurs twice.^[10]─ The language is Tamil. As in the Madras Museum plates of Jaṭilavarman,^[11] the rules of saṁdhi are not observed in Perumbâlaiûr (l. 7 f.)

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^[1] This subdivision was named after Tennâttûr, No. 127 on the Madras Survey Map of the Wandiwash tâluka.
^[2] The same district is mentioned in two inscriptions at Tirumalai near Pôḷûr (South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. I. Nos. 72 and 74), in a Tiruvallam, inscription (ibid. Vol. III. No. 58), and in the Âlampûṇḍi plate (above, Vol. III. p. 226).
^[3] South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. I. Nos. 33 and 34, and Vol. II. Plate x.
^[4] Above, Vol. IV. No. 19.
^[5] South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. II. No. 72.
^[6] Madras Christian College-Magazine of November 1893, and above, Vol. III. p. 278.
^[7] The synonymous biruda Bhuvanabhâjana occurs in the inscriptions of the Pallava kings Narasiṁha and Râjasiṁha at Mâmallapuram and Kâñchi ; South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. I. Nos. 3, 7, and 25, 23rd niche. ^[8] From inked estampages prepared by Mr. G. Venkoba Rao in 1900 and 1901.
^[9] By this simile the king suggests that he built the temple in order to obtain merit in the future life.
^{[ 10]} South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. III. p. 90 and 6.
^[11] See Mr. Venkayya’s remarks in Ind. Ant. Vol. XXII. p. 63 f.